The Haryana Vidhan Sabha budget session, postponed on February 2 due to the death of Ranbir Singh — the last surviving member of the Constituency Assembly and father of Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda — is scheduled to get underway tomorrow.

According to Indian National Lok Dal leaders, the opposition plans to use the opportunity to press the Congress government on law and order issues, recent attacks on businessmen and traders’ families, and power and water shortage.

The budget session will also test the INLD-BJP alliance, which BJP member Ram Kumar Gautam has emphatically opposed, as initial floor coordination between the two parties against the treasury benches is expected to be rocky.

As a punitive measure, the BJP has since removed Gautam as leader of the House.

There is a flurry of political activity scheduled over the coming weeks, including the Governor’s address on February 6, discussion of the address on the February 10 and 11, and the Chief Minister’s response slotted for February 13. The budget presentation is to be held on February 16, with the Finance Minister expected to speak on February 18. Though the session is likely to end on February 20, sources in the Haryana

Vidhan Sabha indicate that the schedule might be subject to change.

The Haryana government is expected to introduce four bills and two ordinances during the budget session, including the Punjab Scheduled Roads and Controlled Areas Restriction of Unregulated Development (Amendment) Bill, the Haryana Vidhan Sabha Speaker and Deputy Speaker Allowances Revision Bill, the Separate Fire Directorate Act, and the Shri Kapal Mochan, Shri Badri Narayan, Shri Mansa Devi, Shri Kedar Nath Pooja Sthal Bill. Changes in the CRPC also remain a possibility, as the Central government has already passed a Bill in this regard.